August 25, 2020
Pioneering British 'Gay Dad' Engaged to Daughter's Bi Ex-Boyfriend
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, 50 - famed as one half of the couple that became known as Britain's "first gay fathers" following the 1999 birth of twins Saffron and Aspen, with the help of a surrogate - is now engaged to a man half his age. And the man in question, Scott Hutchinson, happens to be the 25-year-old ex-boyfriend of Saffron, now 20.
What's more, Drewitt-Barlow and Hutchinson are expecting to be gay dads in their own right, with a baby daughter expected next month.
The family saga brought Drewitt-Barlow and his then-partner (and, later on, husband), Tony Drewitt-Barlow, to national prominence when a court decision allowed them both to be named on their twin daughters' birth certificate, recalls UK newspaper the Daily Record.
The close-knit family - Drewitt-Barlow and Tony, now divorced; their daughters, plus three other children Drewitt-Barlow and Tony sired via surrogacy, and Hutchinson - all share a house in Florida.
Drewitt-Barlow, Hutchinson, and Saffron were also sharing a vacation in Croatia when Drewitt-Barlow popped the question to Hutchinson, reports UK newspaper the Mirror.
Hutchinson and Saffron say that they always had a platonic relationship. Hutchinson is openly bi.
Drewitt-Barlow took to social media to share news of the impending nuptials, reported the Mirror:
"The proposal took place on the island of Hvar off the coast of Split and the footage showed a boat decorated with candles and rose petals with champagne and a large silver and diamond ring.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.